“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8 ESV)
“Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but fail to notice the beam in your own eye?” (Luke 6:41 BSB)
“Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptaton yourself.” (Galatians 6:1 NLT)
What I just saw wasn’t right. What should I do? Forget I saw it? Approach it? Affirm it?
What am I to do with this thing called “sin” when I see it in those around me? (I know what to do daily as I see it in myself)
I don’t feel right about just forgetting it. What if I can help someone avoid hurt and pain?
I think I should take a risk and approach the sitation. But what if it blows up in my face and I end up causing the pain that I was trying to help them avoid?
I know that I am not to affirm it. What if my silence reads as a stamp of approval?
This is a tough one. I know who has the answer…
…Jesus clearly taught and demonstrated how we are to approach those who are sinning.
Jesus always began with relationship building. He was slammed hard by the established religion’s leaders for hanging out with sinners. Jesus was not threatened by the behavior of those who were sinning, and they were not threatened by him as He chose not to sin. He hung out and somehow fit in, however, He never condoned, or affirmed their sin, and they were still OK with having Him around. His approach to those who sin, and the sin itself, was shown clearly in how he interacted with the woman caught in adultery.
First, He gave her the assurance that in His presence she was safe by disarming those who elevated their understanding of their religion above their desire to have a relationship with her. They were driven to attack sin first (stone her to death) and ask questions later.
Second, after they left, He then reassured her that she was accepted and not condemned. He obviously elevated her above her sin and wanted her to know it.
Finally, after laying the foundation of a redemptive relationship in which she felt safe and accepted, He addressed her sin. He confronted the issue not with a stone of death, but with a statement of life. He said “go and sin no more.” He did not come to condemn, but to save. He challenged her to stop doing the thing that was stealing from her life. He didn’t punish her for sinning, he challenged her to stop doing the thing (sin) that was bringing death into her life.
Loving first and most is NOT condoning sin!
Elevating a redemptive relationship that assures a person that they are loved and accepted just as they are before dealing with sin is not affirming sin. It is affirming the person.
Look again at how Jesus dealt with the common crowd (inside and outside of the current religion, sinners or not) and then how he dealt with the religious crowd (specifically the leaders). Maybe we’ve got it backwards.
Let’s turn it around with…
…Eric’s Life Lesson # 327: Acceptance is NOT Affirmation